• Authors:
    • Wang, J.
    • Yu, M.
    • Li, X. M.
    • Yang,J. S.
    • Liu, M. X.
  • Source: Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao
  • Volume: 22
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A 2-year (2009 and 2010) field experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of irrigation amount (300, 375, and 450 mm) and irrigation frequency (once every 3-, 7-, and 10 days) on the soil water distribution and cotton water use efficiency (WUE) under mulched drip irrigation in North Xinjiang. When the irrigation amount was 375 mm, irrigation once every 3 days induced a higher water content in surface soil (0-20 cm) in the whole growth season of cotton but made the deeper (below 40 cm) soil not moistened enough. Irrigation once every 10 days benefited the irrigation water penetrated downward or sideways and made the deeper soil have a higher water content; however, this drip irrigation did not replenish water in time, and made the surface soil water content lower. Overall, drip irrigation once every 7 days benefited the uniform distribution of irrigation water in soil profile. Under the same irrigation frequencies, the larger the irrigation amount, the higher the soil water content. The cotton water consumption in all treatments had the similar pattern, i. e., lower at seedling stage (averagely
  • Authors:
    • Schubert, A. M.
    • Hudnall, W. H.
    • Booker, J. D.
    • Bronson, K. F.
    • Malapati, A.
  • Source: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Volume: 66
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Sulfate (SO 4) is one of the most important anions in soils and groundwater in semiarid regions, including west Texas. Crops' sulfur (S) requirement is about 10% to 20% of the nitrogen requirements. However, there is far less information on soil test SO 4-S (S in the SO 4 form [sulfate-S]) for the western United States, compared to the humid eastern United States. The deposition of S from the atmosphere has declined nationwide, as coal-fired power plants have been scrubbing their emissions of S. This, combined with greater cotton yields and the lack of S fertilization on the Texas Southern High Plains (SHP) point to the need for a soil profile SO 4-S assessment. The first objective of this study was to assess residual soil profile SO 4-S content in irrigated cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum) fields across a range of soil types and counties of the Texas SHP. The second objective was to compile regional SO 4-S concentration data from the Texas Water Development Board irrigation well water quality database and analyze Ogallala groundwater SO 4-S levels by county, soil map unit, and well depth. Soil profile (0 to 0.9 m [0 to 36 in]) SO 4-S content ranged from 120 to 475 kg ha -1 (107 to 424 lb ac -1) among seven center-pivot fields sampled. About half of this S was in the 0.6 to 0.9 m (24 to 36 in) soil layer, which typically was sandy clay loam or clay loam in texture. Well water SO 4-S concentration ranged from 9 to 220 mg L -1 (ppm) in clayey soils with deep groundwater to sandy soils with shallow groundwater, respectively. Groundwater SO 4-S concentration was greater than the USEPA drinking water standard of 83 mg L -1 in 32% of the wells, especially in the southeastern corner of the study area. There was no consistent relationship between soil map unit and SO 4-S content in the soil profile (0 to 0.9 m). A significant negative relationship between well depth and well water SO 4-S concentration was observed in all the eleven-county study area of the SHP of West Texas. In conclusion, soil profile SO 4 content to 0.9 m is high in SHP irrigated cotton fields and in most cases should be adequate for crop S nutritional requirements.
  • Authors:
    • Janaki, D.
    • Haroon, A. R. M.
    • Maragatham, S.
  • Source: Advances in Plant Sciences
  • Volume: 24
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Irrigation water is one of the most critical resource for agricultural production. Under ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project functioning at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli, water samples were collected from Tiruchirappalli and other adjacent districts for ground water characterization. Of these water samples collected, high SAR saline waters are found in Udiyur block of Kankeyam area, Erode district. A laboratory study was conducted to study the effect of high SAR saline water on germination per cent and biomass yield in cotton plants. Different sources of water and amendments were used. Maximum biomass yield and high germination per cent were recorded when best available water was used as a source of irrigation followed by gypsum treated water. The germination per cent was 90.0 and 82.5 respectively. Among the amendments, soil application of vermin compost (5 t ha -1) and press mud (t ha -1) registered higher germination per cent.
  • Authors:
    • Chachar, Q. I.
    • Shahzadi, A. K.
    • Mari, J. M.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Technology
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The study on perception of the problems in farming community in District Hyderabad, Pakistan was conducted through a set of questioners during 2007. Three hundred respondents (growers) were personally interviewed, their responses were tabulated. Data were collected on the basic information about cotton growers such as their ages, education, tenancy statuses, sizes of farm, farming experiences, and living status was asked which would highly influence the use of communication media for the perception of the problems in farming community. The growers of the area stated that irregular supply of irrigation and lack of visit of extension personnel, nonavailability of inputs, and high cost of inputs were common problems of the area. It was also noted that these are the causes for low yield. It is recommended that government should ensure the better facilities for continue supply of irrigation water and pure inputs with minimum rates in the market.
  • Authors:
    • Wang, Y. M.
    • Mahemujiang, A.
    • Su, L. T.
    • Hudan, T.
    • Mu, H. C.
    • Zhang, J. Z.
  • Source: Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Based on measured date in field, the soil salt changes for cotton field with drip irrigation under the plastic mulch were investigated. Through analyzing the salinity changes in cotton field with different irrigation years in four different growing period, it was concluded that salt content in soil depth 0-20 cm was reduced during before planting, seedling stage, and the boll opening period, but increased during the blooming-boiling stage. Salt content in 40-80 cm increased slowly during before sowing and reduced during the blooming period and boll opening period. The accumulation of salt at emitter was less than that at any other position but more at interspace of films in horizontal direction. The accumulation of salt in 0-20 cm of vertical direction reducted, but in the 60-100 cm it was larger. Meanwhile with the drip irrigation time extension, soil salt content would increase, especially in the 60-100 cm, the increasing trend was significant. At the location of emitter, inter-lines and inter-films, the total salt content would increase successively. The zone of 60-100 cm was of largest salt accumulation. In the cotton growth period, the depth of 0-60 cm soil kept desalting state, and the depth of 60-100 cm soil appeared depositing salt state. The results can provide references for management and prevention of drip irrigation water and salt under mulch in arid regions.
  • Authors:
    • Imran, K.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Usman, I.
  • Source: Soil & Environment
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The study was conducted with the aim to determine the impact of soil quality on the Bt cotton productivity. A sample of 150 farmers was selected by using multi-stage sampling technique from three districts i.e. Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Mianwali. A Cobb Douglas production function was employed to assess the effect of various agronomic and demographic variables on the Bt cotton productivity. Results of the analysis indicated that land preparation cost, seed cost, fertilizer cost, labour cost and dummy variable of soil quality were significant and positively contributing towards higher Bt cotton yield. While the spray cost and irrigation cost variable were found positive but non-significant. Findings of the study suggested that focusing on maintaining and improving the quality of soils is necessary to obtain higher crop yields. All this needs attention of agricultural extension department to provide information about advance techniques to farmers for improving soil quality.
  • Authors:
    • Tahir, M. A.
    • Quddus, M. A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Nighat, F.
  • Source: Pakistani Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The paper examined the resource use efficiency of small Bt cotton farmers of Punjab province of Pakistan using the production function approach. Data for the study were obtained from 150 randomly selected Bt cotton farmers from Punjab province using a multistage sampling procedure and then categorized into small, medium and large farmers. Average farm size of small farmer was found to be 5 acres. Regression results indicated that Fertilizer, Spray Number, Irrigation acre inch and labour cost were significantly affecting Bt cotton production while farm size was found non significant. The resource use efficiency analysis showed that efficiency ratios i.e. MVP/MFC for inputs fertilizer (Kg), spray number, irrigation (acre inch) and labour cost (Rs) were found to be 1.5, 3.94, 3.01 and 1.27, respectively. All the efficiency ratios, more than unity indicated the under utilization of all the production inputs under consideration in case of small Bt cotton farmers. Bt cotton production for small Bt farmers had an increasing return to scale with elasticity of production 1.27. Opportunities still exists to increase Bt cotton output in the study area by increasing the level of above mentioned productive resources.
  • Authors:
    • Naderi, M. R.
    • Nayerain-Jazy, A. H.
    • Rezaei, A.
  • Source: RESEARCH ON CROPS
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Cotton is one of the most important and strategically crops all over the world especially in Iran which is grown to use both fiber and oil. In improving management of cotton cultivation, irrigation, nutrition and their interaction are very important. So, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil moisture, foliar application of micronutrients and their interaction on yield and quality characteristics of cotton fiber at the Research Farm of Isfahan Islamic Azad University (Khorasgan Branch) in a split plot layout with three replications in 2009. Irrigation treatments based on 80 and 160 mm cumulative evaporation from evaporation pan class A were regarded as the main factor and without, two times and three times foliar application of micronutrients were applied as sub-factor. The traits including unginned cotton (lint+cotton seed) yield, lint yield and some of lint qualitative traits such as mean length, uniformity index, elongation, strength, fineness and short fiber index were calculated and analysis of variance was performed for each one of the traits. The results showed that the effect of irrigation on above all traits was significant at the 1% probability level. Drought stress (irrigation based on 160 mm cumulative evaporation) caused 7% increase in unginned cotton yield. In fact, much moisture stimulated vegetative growth and delayed reproductive development, as a result unginned cotton has decreased. Also, a similar result was obtained about the characteristics above. Three times foliar application of micronutrients than the control increased both unginned cotton and lint yield about 8% and improved all qualitative fiber traits. Maximum and minimum lint yield equal to 87.96 and 73.67 g/m(2) was obtained in association With irrigation based on 80 mm cumulative evaporation with three times foliar application of micronutrients and irrigation based on 160 mm cumulative evaporation without foliar application of micronutrients, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Nurzhanovna, A. G.
  • Source: AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 17
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Structural restructuring through opening of industrial associations and introduction of cluster technologies has become possible mainly in most developed industries of the Kazakhstan economy including cotton-textile area. Kazakhstan is situated in the centre of broad markets sales of CIS and Eastern European states, which makes it possible to apply the development model to cluster industry. Resource endowment of cotton-textile industry of Kazakhstan is determined by such components as natural and climatic conditions favourable for cotton plant cultivation along with professional skills of local population, farm field irrigation and manufacturing capacity of cotton processors.
  • Authors:
    • Grace, P.
    • Barton, L.
    • Chen, D.
    • Eckard, R.
    • Kelly, K.
    • Officer, S.
    • Scheer, C.
    • Schwenke, G.
    • Wang, W.
  • Source: Soil Solutions for a Changing World
  • Year: 2011